Lily Seach proved the woman to beat once again in the Eastern Young Athletes league, as an under-strength Hunts AC squad finished third in the Southern Men’s League.

HUNTS AC’s athletes came within nine points of victory in their Southern Men’s League meet at Milton Keynes, despite being without several key runners.

They were led by man of the match Dave Leadbitter, who won the 100m A string – in which the first three athletes were awarded the same time – as well as the 200m A and legs in the winning 4x100 and 4x400m relays.

Without several of their middle-distance runners, Hunts AC had to rely on their strength in the sprints and completed a clean sweep of both strings of the 100m, 200m and 400m, and both relays.

In the 400m hurdles, Jordan Gillbanks won by eight seconds and sliced 0.7secs off his best, won the 400m B string by four seconds, came within a centimetre of his long jump best and was part of the victorious 4x400m team.

Hakeem Duckworth-Porter won 100m and 200m B strings and anchored the sprint relay team, and Matt Leadbitter won the 400m A race by four seconds, while veteran John Edwards won the B string discus and hammer events.

With nine points awarded for each event, Hunts AC were left to rue their inability to fill six events as they finished just 8.5 points behind winners Watford AC and just half-a-point behind hosts Milton Keynes.

At the Eastern Young Athletes League meeting in Cambridge, Lily Seach proved once again that she is one of the form athletes at Hunts AC by setting two personal bests.

Sixteen-year-old Seach set a mark of 42.1secs in the U17 Girls 300m race, knocking half a second off her own club records at U17 and U20 level.

She then improved her 200m PB by half a second when she clocked 26.4secs at the same meet.

Seach was well supported by other Hunts AC athletes as Eleanor Smith took a win in the U17 Women’s 1500m.

Her sister Polly also won over the same distance in the U13 Girls B string. Other wins came from Harry Whybrow in the U15 Boys long jump, Alex Cleland in the U17 Men’s 800m and Hakeem Duckworth-Porter in the U17 Men’s 100m.

The next meeting for club athletes is today (Wednesday) at the St Ivo Outdoor Sports Centre.